CLAREMORE, Okla. – Christian Merriwether picked up four hits and the Hillcats picked up their third-straight victory as Rogers State Baseball defeated Northeastern State 10-2 Thursday afternoon at the Diamond Sports Complex.
Merriwether went 4-for-5 on the day, with a double and three runs batted in to lead the way for the Hillcats (6-2), who picked up just their second win at home all-time against the RiverHawks (1-7).
Merriwether legged out a bunt single to put runners on the corners in the bottom of the third. Zack Mann then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the Hillcats in front.
After a Grant Farris walk, Nick Follett doubled to centerfield, scoring both Merriwether and Farris to put the hosts up 3-0.
With a walk and a hit in the game, Farris extended his reached base streak to 20 games, dating back to last season.
In the fourth inning, Merriwether beat out another bunt single to load the bases. Mann then stepped up and singled through the right side to score Christopher Ford and Patrick Reynier.
In the top of the fifth, Northeastern State capitalized on a Hillcat error to plate two runs in the inning.
However, Rogers State would answer right back with three more runs in the bottom half of the inning. With the bases load, Merriwether doubled to left field, clearing the bases as Ford, Brandon Bradshaw and Follett all scored.
Rogers State added two more runs in the eighth inning as back-to-back singles by Bradshaw and Brendan Griffith scored Mann and Follett.
Drew Van Winkle picked up the win with six innings of work. Van Winkle allowed both runs, one earned, on five hits.
Joey Lucas, Sean Robinson and Brock Knoten all pitched one inning of scoreless relief.
The Hillcats will now travel to Northeastern State for games two and three of the series, which will be played in Tahlequah on Saturday, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
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